1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with crop harvesting machines having front mounted header units for gathering a crop. The specific invention set forth herein is related to a hydraulic control system incorporating a rotary flow divider to balance the raising and lowering action of independently suspended header units. Individual header unit height is controlled through ground elevation variation sensing devices for each independent header unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Crop harvesting vehicles, specifically cotton harvesters, that is both cotton strippers and cotton picking machines, are known to be equipped with front mounted gathering units or header units that will remove the cotton crop from the cotton plants as the harvester moves through the field. The automatic height sensing devices now in use incorporate a ground sensing shoe that is connected through a linkage to a header unit lift valve. The header unit lift valve is an open or closed valve that will supply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the cylinder associated with the header unit whereby extension of the cylinder rod will cause the header unit to be raised or lowered responsive to the ground elevation plane.